Letter from Poland.

 

Warsaw gets a facelift.

03.07.2008

For those of you who have not been to our capital for a while, you may be surprised next time you come over.
Presented by Anna Piwowarska.

Part of Warsaw has just about finished having a major makeover – the pedestrianisation of the Krakowskie Przedmieście, or as it is often referred to in English, the northern part of the Royal Route. This kilometre long street leads up to the Old Town and the Royal Castle. It is home to some of Poland’s most important institutions including the Presidential Place, the Polish Film Institute, the Warsaw Academy of Arts, Warsaw University, as well some of Warsaw’s most famous and beautiful churches such as the Church of the Holy Cross which holds Frederic Chopin’s heart.
Krakowskie Przedmieście literally means ‘ the Kraków surburb’. It came into existence in the fifteenth century, first carrying the name of the ‘Czerski’ rather than ‘Krakowskie’ Przedmieście as it went in the direction of the town of Czersk. Between 1621 and 1885, it was named the ‘wąskie’ Krakowskie Przemieście, that’s the narrow Krakowskie Przedmieście - then simply, the Krakowskie Przemieście. The reason for this name was that the street went from the Royal castle through the gates of the city, all the way to the former capital of Poland, Kraków. In 1965, the street was officially written into the listed building register.
During the 18th century the Italian painter Bernard Bellotto, called ‘Canaletto the younger’, painted with meticulous details the streets and architecture of 18th century Warsaw. He captured Warsaw’s glory at a time when the city held the permanent royal residence, had a fast growing population and a strong economy, and was the seat of learning and the arts. It was partly thanks to these painting that Warsaw was able to be rebuilt by the Polish nation following it’s devastation in 1944. Looking at these fascinating images, which are almost photographic in their detail, one can see that the Krakowskie Przedmieście has always been one of the most beautiful and busiest of Warsaw’s streets. One can recognize certain landmarks such as ‘The Church of the Holy Cross’ or Zygmunt’s column and marvel at the beautiful baroque-rococo architecture which meant that before the war the city of Warsaw was considered one of the pearls of Europe. Although the paintings show dusty roads, horse carriages carrying stacks of hay, street vendors and even cows, there is something strangely familiar about this street. It’s as if the essence of it has never really changed.
The current renovation and pedestrianisation of the street began in autumn 2006 and is still not quite finished. Alas, the major operation has not run smoothly. The closing off of key sections of this major street has caused chaos in Warsaw for the past two years. Students have had to trawl through the mud and zigzag around fences to get to their lectures; buses have been re-routed causing major congestion in other parts of town, shops and restaurants have lost business due to their being no access to them and tourists have had to put up with eyesores such as dug up water pipes. And as for the noise, don’t get me started on that… The students of Warsaw University have frequently complained how everything shook due to the massive machines working outside the campus. The Academy of Fine Arts seems to have gotten the brunt of the noise so goodness knows how the art students got any inspiration all last year. And as for the president, it’s a miracle that was able to get any work done at all with all that drilling going on outside the palace.
However, it seems that finally the Krakowskie Przedmieście is nearly finished. The last few weeks’ heat wave has meant that Varsovians have been able to fully appreciate the glory of the street that is supposed to bring us up to date with other European capitals. The street is lined with pretty wrought iron lampposts, stone block benches and neat rows of trees. The pale cream pavements give light and life to some of the older, dirtier buildings and the space means that walking through Warsaw is such a pleasure, that I often hop off a bus stop or two early . In fact, the traffic has been limited to only taxis, buses and (presidential limos of course). The whole operation has cost around 44 million zloty and for the most part it seems that its money well spent.
Of course, as with most projects on such a large scale, they are rarely perfect. In fact, complaints are already coming in. The biggest one seems to be that this ‘Warsaw salon’ is not available for Varsovians with disabilities, reports the 'Gazeta Wyborcza' daily newspaper. The blind are not able to cross the road in front of Warsaw University as there is no pedestrian crossing, lights or sound signals or pavements with special edging which help ‘feel’ the difference between the street and the pavement. Those in wheelchairs are not able to get up the pavements as the slopes are too high. Most shops and restaurants are still only accessed by stairs. Thankfully, these faults are to be dealt with, say officials from the city.
As for my personal feeling for the new Krakowskie Przedmieście, I feel pleased with street’s make-over. I remember how just a few years ago, it was grey, over congested and dirty. Now all I see is groups of builders going around with a cigarette in one hand and a hose in another, cleaning the nearly finished pavement from any dirt or stains. I wonder how long that’s going to last... But for now, I’m going to spend the summer enjoying Warsaw’s fresh, new look and invite all my friends from aboard to see how our concrete capital is hot on the heels of Paris and Rome.